Aironi 20 Connacht 6:CONNACHT ASSISTANT coach Billy Millard denounced Saturday's losing performance against Aironi as their worst of the season.
Eric Elwood’s beleaguered troops came to Viadana chasing their first win since September but left utterly chastened as they slumped to their 13th consecutive defeat. Their failure to register so much as a losing bonus point sees them slip to second from last in the league table.
“I don’t think we could play that badly again if we tried,” bemoaned Millard “The players have to aim higher. They are getting a lot of money to do this. A few of them haven’t got the experience, but they can still show the right attitude and come out to perform consistently well every week. If these guys cannot do it, we have to find people who can.”
Connacht registered just two converted penalties over the 80 minutes as they flattered to deceive at almost every juncture. Their handling and decision-making repeatedly let them down.
Aironi weren’t much better, but managed take just about every chance that came their way, with Samoan winger Sinoti Sinoti scoring the game-breaking try in the second half to augment 15 points from the boot of Luciano Orquera. Connacht did at least put up a fight during the final quarter and especially after the introduction of Niall O’Connor at outhalf.
Indeed, they might have rescued a losing bonus point or even more had Fetu’u Vainikolo managed to dot down during their best spell of play. But alas, the Tongan winger came up just short, the story of Connacht’s season.
“The performance was totally unacceptable, right across the field,” continued Millard. “I’ve always been of the belief if you lose games in that fashion you either don’t care or you’re careless, and I think tonight was a bit of both.”
Mercifully, Connacht departed Italy without any fresh injuries, the only real positive from an outing best forgotten. Next up for Elwood’s men is the small matter of a trip to Toulouse, and with fixtures against the Harlequins and Cardiff still to follow, it’s difficult to see them breaking their duck any time soon.
Hopes of gaining automatic qualification for next season’s Heineken Cup are already looking a bit forlorn, but as outlined by Gavin Duffy, it’s imperative Connacht do not drown in their own sorrow. “We are trying to keep on an even keel and not get too drastic about the run, because the more you beat yourself up, the longer it takes to get back up into a positive mood,” stressed the captain.
AIRONI: A Masi; G Toniolatti, R Quartaroli, G Pizarro , S Sinoti; L Orquera, T Keats; A de Marchi , R Santamaria, F Staibano; J Furno, M Bortolami; N Cattina, S Favaro, J Sole. Replacements: Geldenhuys for Furno (41 mins), T d’Apice for Santamaria (46 mins), T Tebaldi for Keats (61 mins), Romano for Favaro (62-66 mins), N Olivier for Orquera (65 mins), M Bergamasco for Favaro (70 mins), Benettin for Quartaroli (75 mins). Sin-bin: Staibano (56 mins).
CONNACHT: G Duffy; F Vainikolo, K Tonetti, D McSharry, T O’Halloran; M Jarvis, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, D Rogers; M Swift, M McCarthy; M Kearney, J Muldoon, G Naoupu. Replacements: S Maguire for Kearney (43-50 mins), E Reynecke for Flavin (41 mins), N O’Connor for Jarvis (50 mins), R Ofisa for Kearney (55 mins), H Fa’afili for McSharry, D Buckley for Wilkinson (both 59 mins), S Maguire for Rogers (68 mins), P O’Donohoe for Murphy, E McKeon for Muldoon (both 70 mins). Sin-bin: Rogers (37 mins).
Referee: Andrew McMenemy (SRU).
